by Stephen Arterburn
The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel—which means, "God with us". Matthew 1:23
Are you a Grinch around Christmastime or do you know a Grinch? Maybe these words of Dr. Seuss sound familiar:
"Every Who
Down in Who-ville
Liked Christmas a lot..."
"But the Grinch,
Who lived just north of Who-ville,
Did NOT!"
"For,
Tomorrow, he knew...
...All the Who girls and boys
Would wake bright and early. They'd rush for their toys!
And then! Oh, the noise! Oh, the Noise! Noise! Noise! Noise
That's one thing he hated! The NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!"
Now I'm a Who at heart—I love Christmas, but I can certainly relate to the Grinch. Sometimes there's so much noise around Christmas, you begin to think Christmas is about the noise…and friend, that will make you Grinchy every time! When that happens, remember the Grinch's wise discovery:
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store."
"Maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more!"
What does Christmas mean to you? Can you get past all the noise and consider what it meant for Jesus to come to earth as a babe in a manger?
"A lovely thing about Christmas is that it's compulsory, like a
thunderstorm, and we all go through it together." - Garrison Keillor
(1942- )
===============================================
Celebration Time
“And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, ‘Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.’” Luke 2:9-11 King James Version
EXPLORATION
“Celebration Time -- Heaven’s Glory Comes to Earth”
“It is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself.”
Charles Dickens
What emotions fill my heart this Christmas season?
How and where will I look for God’s glory to fill the earth?
“O the strength of infant weakness, if eternal is so young.
God all-bounteous, all creative,
Whom no ills from good dissuade,
Is incarnate and a native:
Of the very world He made.”
Christopher Smart
INSPIRATION
“Glory” – “Great honor, praise and distinction, reflecting the splendor and perfect happiness of heaven.”
“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.”Isaiah 6: 3 K.J.V.
Here at Transformation Garden we are studying about the lives of all the women in the Bible from beginning to end – Genesis to Revelation. Every time we come to a story about a woman, named or unnamed, we stop and study and dig into the Biblical truth about her life.
However, for the next few weeks, I want to divert from our regular studies on the lives of women instead focus instead on devotional messages which tell of heaven’s gift of Jesus to this earth.
Every year, the world celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ on a holiday we call Christmas. Amid all the glitter and tinsel, it is easy for our vision to become distracted from the real meaning of this annual celebration.
And so I want to look at the gift of Jesus Christ which we have been given and the eternal blessings this gift has brought into your life and mine.
This has been a very tough year for all of us. The financial world has continued to implode in ways few of us could ever have imagined. For many of us, our health has continued to challenge us on a daily basis. Many individuals have suffered the loss of a job and this situation has left so many adrift. While for others, the loss of a loved one has blanketed you in inconsolable grief. Sadly, 2010 has been a harsh year, as you may well attest to.
This is why I feel so impressed to bring you some good news as the year draws to a close.
While shepherds were in the field watching their sheep, nearly 2000 years ago, the Bible says the angel of the Lord appeared. This was an unexpected event, and the response of the shepherds was absolutely normal. We are told they were, “afraid.” As I read this text, I thought about how normal it is to be afraid today. I find myself afraid at times and I’m certain you do, too!
But I have to tell you, my fear completely lifted as I read the words of the prophet Isaiah which encourages us with the reminder that, “The whole earth is full of the glory of the Lord” (Isaiah 6: 3).
So often, the reason I am afraid is that I forget to recognize that Christ my Lord is filling every corner of this earth with His glory – all I need to do is look for it. And it is my prayer, that amid the continual sounds of Christmas bells and sights of holly-filled windows and jolly Santas, your eyes and mine will see clearly the glory – the splendor of heaven’s unlimited and unending gift of love to this earth, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Our Affirmation today comes from the words of a very familiar Christmas carol, It Came Upon The Midnight Clear. But I hope as you sing or hum this tune, the words to this song will help you reflect on God’s gift of glory to each one of us.
AFFIRMATION
“It Came Upon The Midnight Clear”
“It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold;
“Peace on the earth, good will to men,
From heaven’s all gracious King.”
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.
Still through the cloven skies they come,
With peaceful wings unfurled,
And still their heavenly music floats
O’er all the weary world;
Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on hovering wing.
And ever o’er its Babel-sounds
The blessed angels sing.
Yet with the woes of sin and strife
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the heavenly hymn have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And warring humankind hears not
The tidings which they bring
O hush the noise and cease your strife
And hear the angels sing.
For lo! The days are hastening on,
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever-circling years
Shall come the time foretold,
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendors fling,
And all the world give back the song
Which now the angels sing.”
Your friend,
Dorothy Valcàrcel, Author
When A Woman Meets Jesus
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